Does anyone miss CCHA?

[joecct]

Re: Does anyone miss CCHA?

I still think WCHA 3.0 & CCHA 2.0 are possible with Wisconsin being the DMZ and Alaska being shared.

[wolverineTrumpet]

Re: Does anyone miss CCHA?

I've got to say that's a road trip I wish I could have made at least once. Could have been fun and getting to mingle with the Alaska fans.

Fairbanks was my favorite away game trip. We flew in to Fairbanks and did touristy things. Found a dog sledding school and mushed our own team. Watched college football at breakfast time in a bar which the locals had tipped us off to. Then on Sunday we took the train down to Anchorage and flew out of Anchorage on Monday. The train ride in the winter is amazing. So few people on the train, it was a unique and awesome experience.

Then the following year Michigan was scheduled in the tournament and UAA and we knew it may be our only chance to see games in Anchorage...so we headed back to Alaska.

[aparch]

Notre Dame will be coming to Marquette for one game the year after next. Even trade. Michigan State and St. Cloud will each be in Marquette next year for a 2 game series as the back end of this year’s trips there.

Was the two games at Penn State a cash deal like North Dakota, or are they still owing us a return trip?

[aparch]

I've got to say that's a road trip I wish I could have made at least once. Could have been fun and getting to mingle with the Alaska fans.

Fairbanks was my favorite away game trip.

I really hope to be able to tag along with NMU one of these years and do the Alaska double. Ten-ish days in Alaska seeing Anchorage and Fairbanks would be an amazing trip. I think that has been one of the pluses from the conference merger.

[Squarebanks]

Re: Does anyone miss CCHA?

I miss it. There’s no question that not having the B1G/Notre Dame show up in our barn a few times each season has had a negative impact on attendance and program interest.

It wasn’t a perfect league but I miss the dynamic with the other programs at the time.

[Squarebanks]

I really hope to be able to tag along with NMU one of these years and do the Alaska double. Ten-ish days in Alaska seeing Anchorage and Fairbanks would be an amazing trip. I think that has been one of the pluses from the conference merger.

As much as some posters whine about Alaska travel on this board, most of the people who actually make the trip really enjoy it. There’s nothing else quite like Alaska in the college hockey world.

[davyd83]

Was the two games at Penn State a cash deal like North Dakota, or are they still owing us a return trip?

Neither has a return date scheduled.

[davyd83]

As much as some posters whine about Alaska travel on this board, most of the people who actually make the trip really enjoy it. There’s nothing else quite like Alaska in the college hockey world.

Getting there and back can be a bit cumbersome with a group of 25-30 once or twice a year. But for me, I’m overnighting in Seattle on the way up and will enjoy my gameday lunch at Big Daddy’s BBQ, saturday breakfast at Sam’s Sourdough with a little sight seeing and picture taking, then a stop at the HooDoo. The ride down to Anchorage on that Sunday should be pretty spectacular as well! See you in a couple weeks!

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: Does anyone miss CCHA?

Fairbanks was my favorite away game trip. We flew in to Fairbanks and did touristy things. Found a dog sledding school and mushed our own team. Watched college football at breakfast time in a bar which the locals had tipped us off to. Then on Sunday we took the train down to Anchorage and flew out of Anchorage on Monday. The train ride in the winter is amazing. So few people on the train, it was a unique and awesome experience.

Then the following year Michigan was scheduled in the tournament and UAA and we knew it may be our only chance to see games in Anchorage...so we headed back to Alaska.

That's exactly the kind of experience I would have wished for if I ever went. Thanks for sharing!

[devildog]

Re: Does anyone miss CCHA?

I miss it. I live in Southern Indiana, so going to NMU games was reasonable to get up to Michigan and Ohio. Now, the closest game is Huntsville Alabama, about a 4 1/2 hour drive. Don't get me wrong, looking forward to that trip, and Bowling Green is in reach for me, but everything else is 10-12+ hour drive. Also, we don't get on TV anymore. We used to get NMU vs MI or MSU on Fox Detroit at least once a year. We streamed some games last year, but you can't cast on the new FLO TV, at least so I heard, so that is another downside.

[Squarebanks]

Getting there and back can be a bit cunbersome with a group of 25-30 once or twice a year. But for me, I’m overnighting in Seattle on the way up and will enjoy my gameday lunch at Big Daddy’s BBQ, saturday breakfast at Sam’s Sourdough with a little sight seeing and picture taking, then a stop at the HooDoo. The ride down to Anchorage on that Sunday should be pretty spectacular as well! See you in a couple weeks!

Go out to Hilltop Truck Stop (mile 5 of the Elliott Hwy, about 15 miles north of downtown Fairbanks) and get a piece of pie. Worth the drive.

[Deejpuck]

Re: Does anyone miss CCHA?

I want to know if there is any fans from ND or Denver checking this thread out? I just want to know why your school do not want to play in existing WCHA after Minnesota and Wisconsin left...you still have several great teams competing and do you feel sighted that they left WCHA without you?

Hopefully some of you can tag some fans from those school... I would love to hear their opinion, Thanks!

[Deman]

Re: Does anyone miss CCHA?

I still think WCHA 3.0 & CCHA 2.0 are possible with Wisconsin being the DMZ and Alaska being shared.

I think the only way that happens is if the NCHC dissolves back into part of the WCHA, or the western nWCHA schools join the NCHC, with the eastern schools from both (Miami & WMU namely) rejoining for the CCHA.

Otherwise, you're splitting the nWCHA into 2 and possibly adding a school to either side just feels bad and would hurt both conferences.

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: Does anyone miss CCHA?

I want to know if there is any fans from ND or Denver checking this thread out? I just want to know why your school do not want to play in existing WCHA after Minnesota and Wisconsin left...you still have several great teams competing and do you feel sighted that they left WCHA without you?

Hopefully some of you can tag some fans from those school... I would love to hear their opinion, Thanks!

Obviously not a ND fan but I think ND joined the B1G as with 3 former CCHA schools in and with the addition of Penn State, Minnesota and Wisconsin it at least on paper created a power conference and was a good fit for them overall.

[SJHovey]

Re: Does anyone miss CCHA?

I want to know if there is any fans from ND or Denver checking this thread out? I just want to know why your school do not want to play in existing WCHA after Minnesota and Wisconsin left...you still have several great teams competing and do you feel sighted that they left WCHA without you?

Hopefully some of you can tag some fans from those school... I would love to hear their opinion, Thanks!

Brad Schlossman from the Grand Forks Herald did a series of stories on the realignment and the formation of the NCHC. To summarize some of the points he discovered and summarized in his articles that are pertinent to your question:

1. There was already internal disagreement within the WCHA about where the conference was heading and the job the current commissioner was doing. Until the formation of the B1G, there were enough "large" schools to give them some control over conference decisions. With the loss of Minnesota and Wisconsin, the smaller schools in the conference would control most votes.

2. Denver and North Dakota were two of the schools in favor of replacing the commissioner, or at least putting him on notice. At the annual meetings, and without the knowledge of DU and UND, a new deal was negotiated with the commissioner.

3. Schools like DU and UND felt that it was important that the conference contain schools that were willing to spend money to improve facilities or otherwise invest in their hockey program.

I don't know that DU and UND felt "slighted" over the departure of Minnesota and Wisconsin as much as they felt concerned about the potential revenue losses associated with their departure. Minnesota and Wisconsin were big draws for most schools whenever they came to town. The commissioner tried to tell everyone that the conference would still have the same financial success, but DU and UND did not buy it, correctly so in my opinion.